Category Archives: Workshops

This message brings you news of free workshops across England in autumn 2016.

In many schools, responding to a pressure to raise standards, staff concentrate their efforts on teaching the curriculum, with little or no time to explore issues which are not expected to lead directly to better SATs results.

In other schools staff invest equivalent energy in attending to the learning environment: they embrace the challenge of welcoming pupils, staff and visitors in all their diversity and actively engage with different identities and perspectives.

No matter how much, or how little, schools engage with equality issues, all schools have a legal obligation to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty, introduced by the Equality Act 2010.

This is sometimes seen as an additional responsibility, and other times as an integral part of everything that happens in a school. In some schools, learning to respect one another is understood to be a significant aspect of children’s education.

CSIE is offering a series of FREE equality workshops throughout the country in autumn 2016, supported by Barclays Bank and The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation. Over and above helping schools fulfil their legal duties, these are practical, “hands on” workshops designed to be engaging and constructive.

The workshops are framed around CSIE’s award-winning guide “Equality: Making It Happen“, a succinct and user-friendly set of reference cards to help schools reduce bullying, address prejudice and promote equality holistically. The guide offers simple and practical advice, as well as links to sources of further information and support. We know of no other initiative addressing all aspects of equality in schools in such an effective and user-friendly way. It will take a long time for our new guide to make an impact on the lives of all pupils in all schools, but for those that it reaches the effect can be decisive.

Each workshop will address: a) what more schools can do to ensure that all pupils are safe, included and learning; and b) how schools can best respond to their legal equality duties and ensure that all protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010 are reflected positively in the curriculum and in everyday school life.

The workshops will:

address equality in the context of current challenges in education;

provide an overview of the Equality Act 2010;

consider the public sector equality duty and its implications for schools;

offer clear information on all protected characteristics;

present a range of strategies for addressing prejudice and promoting equality;

provide simple and practical advice for reducing all forms of prejudice-based bullying;

consider real-life examples (participants are encouraged to bring their own examples of equality challenges in school);

assist in developing a context-specific framework for change.

Who should attend:

The workshops have been designed for primary and secondary school teachers, inclusion managers, pastoral support leaders, senior leaders and governors who care about equality and want to reduce all forms of prejudice-based bulling and discrimination in school. Workshops will also be of interest to equality champions outside schools, for example academy chain or local authority officers and voluntary sector organisations working to promote equality in education.

Cost:

All workshops are free to attend but places are limited and must be booked in advance. These events have been subsidised by Barclays Bank and The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, to both of whom CSIE remains grateful.

Feedback from previous CSIE equality workshops:

“Great!”

“Inspiring.”

“Eloquent and informative.”

“A lot of very practical and very useful information.”

“Excellent content and awareness of legal framework.”

Free workshops have been scheduled to take place in Bristol, Norfolk, Leicester and Reading. More workshops will be announced in other locations soon. For more information, or to book your place, please visit www.csie.org.uk/about/training.shtml.

If you want to find out more about these free workshops or about Equality: Making It Happen, or if you have any questions or queries at all, please call 0117 353 3150 or email admin@csie.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you at one of our workshops.

The Debate Chamber Summer Schools offer students age 11-18 the opportunity to find out more about some fascinating subjects, prepare for university applications, meet like-minded peers and get to grips with some tough intellectual challenges.

The material will be challenging (for the older age-group, about the level of difficulty one might expect in the first year at university), but the atmosphere will be relaxed, with plenty of discussion, debate, and opportunities for students to shape the direction of classes. It is an environment conducive to getting to grips with new ideas.

Working in small groups (usually around 14 students per group) over several days offers participants a real chance to get to know tutors and fellow students and to explore the topics or questions that particularly interest them.

We now have additional dates and/or places for the following events:

The English Literature Summer School for 15-18s, now in three 5-day blocks to allow time for greater discussion of contemporary literature, and a more in-depth look at various literary critical perspectives. Students can come to Part 1 for literature up to 1790, including Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton, to Part 2 for literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, or to the brand new Part 3 which covers contemporary poetry, prose and drama. Additional places now available for Part 3 (Contemporary Literature) on the 22nd-26th August.

The Physics Summer School, for students who have completed AS Maths at the time of the course, covers a range of topics including thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, astrophysics and relativity. This course offers a chance to explore some challenging undergraduate level material selected to engage and inspire bright students keen to push themselves beyond the school curriculum. Additional places now available for this course on the 18th-22nd July.

The History Summer School, for students aged 15-18, is an intensive five-day course which looks at historiographical questions and historical methods, using seminars, lectures, activities and informal discussions. Topics are selected to challenge and broaden the historical outlook of participants, and give a taste of what the subject is like at undergraduate level. Additional places now available for this course on the 1st-5th August and 22nd-26th August.

There is also some limited availability remaining on other courses, including the Civil and International Law Summer Schools, the Philosophy Summer School, and the Young Doctors Summer School (for students aged 11-14).

Practical Details:

All the Summer School events will be held at University of London venues in Bloomsbury, Central London, and will take place in July and August 2016. Please note that these courses are not residential, and accommodation must be arranged independently if required.

The Classical Civilisations Summer School offers an exciting opportunity for students to explore the history, literature, material culture, philosophy, and international relations of ancient Greece and Rome.

The thinkers, fighters, rulers and poets of the classical period have all had a profound and transformative impact on Western culture – many of their names and ideas are commonplace and familiar even today, but the reality of their worldviews and their day-to-day lives is often surprisingly alien. For over 2000 years of Western history, each generation has rediscovered, reinterpreted, and made its own use of the classical legacy, which has proved an endlessly fertile source of inspiration and intellectual challenge.

On this course we will sample a wide variety of areas of study, all the time considering the strong links between the ancient and the contemporary. We will always look for ways in which we can engage actively with the ideas and institutions of the past – with a mock Roman senatorial session, for instance, to discuss the fate of Carthage, or a practical workshop on the art of rhetoric in the ancient courts of law.

Our approach to tuition is varied – offering interactive discussions, formal debates, lectures, group presentations, and close individual reading of primary and secondary source material. Special emphasis is given to developing students skills as critical readers at an undergraduate level, by analysing extracts and quotations, as well as images, material sources, and oral accounts.

Please note that students do not need to have studied any Greek or Latin to take part in this Summer School – all sources will be studied in translation.

Practical Details:

The cost of the five-day course is £465, and it will be held at the University of London Union in Bloomsbury on the 22nd-26th August 2016 – please check the website for current availability. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

There will be a limited number of bursary spaces available for those who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our website for details.

Essential for schools that want to challenge prejudice and promote disability equality

Adjusted to suit primary and secondary schools

Delivered by award-winning charity CSIE, working since 1982 to promote equality and eliminate discrimination in education (www.csie.org.uk).

Offer price: £500+vat plus expenses (normal CSIE price: £800+vat)

Follow-up at no extra charge: a) written responses to pupils’ questions and b) transcript of pupils’ feedback as evidence of impact

Book before the end of May 2016 to secure discounted rate.

Delivered by a dedicated ally of disabled people, these workshops enable pupils to:

learn more about disability and human rights

hear disabled people’s perspectives

identify common stereotypes and some of the prejudices disabled people face

consider what disability is and how it arises

understand the difference between impairment and disability

review language and terminology used and the effect this can have on disabled people’s identities

learn about disabled people who have made a difference

ask sensitive questions anonymously

become advocates for disability equality

95-100% of participants say that they found our workshop helpful.

Some of the reasons pupils have given for finding the workshop helpful are:

“I now respect people with disabilities. I wasn’t bothered before but now I care.”

“It helped me see disability from a new perspective.”

“It helps people know that disabled people are equal to us.”

“It helped me understand that you shouldn’t judge people by the way they look.”

“Now I know that people can do different things in a different way.”

How long is each workshop?
Around 45 minutes, but this can be adjusted to fit in with the structure of your school day.

How many workshops will you deliver?
We can deliver up to six workshops in a day; this, too, can be adapted to fit in with your school day.

How many pupils should there be in each group?
The workshops are interactive, therefore more effective with smaller groups (20 pupils or so), but here too the choice is yours.

What year groups are these workshops for?
The workshops are suitable to all year groups in primary and secondary schools; we adapt the content and presentation according to the age of pupils we work with.

Does a member of staff need to stay with the group?
Yes, we ask that a member of staff is present at each workshop.

Will you need any equipment?
In most workshops we ask for a computer, projector and access to the internet.

Book now to take advantage of this offer:
To request a booking, please email the following information to admin@csie.org.uk

Welcome back to the summer term. For many students the focus will be on external exams. Would you like one of our speakers to motivate – and refresh – your students?

We are offering all schools our ‘Summer Time Speaker Offer’ which is a speaker session (1 hour) for an introductory price £200*.

School Speakers is the UK’s no1 speaking agency working with schools (primary and secondary), colleges and universities to provide talks, workshops and full day activities. We have over 300 speakers available across a wide range of subjects.

Assembly or Year Talk across a range of different topics & general motivation, raising aspiration

Student Leadership day

Careers Sessions and ‘You’re Hired’ workshops

Enterprise Days

Anti-Bullying talks

Internet Safety talks

STEM talks and workshops

Speakers start from £250 plus travel and VAT per one hour session.

If you wish to arrange for one of our speakers to visit your school we would be delighted to assist. Please email office@schoolspeakers.co.uk or call 01924 277343. Office hours are 8am to 6pm every week day.

One of the biggest arguments against timed linear exams is the requirement for students to demonstrate what they have learnt during two years of study in just a few hours – which is somewhat unjust when we consider that adolescents are prone to having a bad day.

It is for this reason that we have devised Exam Buster – a workshop that is delivered on the morning of the exam(s) which will get your year 10 and 11 students geared up and ready to take on any challenge that they may face in the exam hall.

The workshop is short, sharp and to the point, offering your students advice on how to manage stress in the exam hall and demonstrating good exam practice, such as the importance of reading questions carefully.

One session lasts for 45 minutes and can be delivered to as many as 100 students at a time.

Feats of juggling, spinning and balancing to astound and amuse, a demonstration followed by workshops with lots of participation.

Why do objects fall, slow down, speed up, change direction or remain balanced?
Within the sessions the Fantastiko Circus scientist explores all of the concepts required for KS1 & KS2 ‘Physical Processes’ and a little more besides. Using practical examples, observation and experiment, he helps the pupils gain a better understanding of ‘Forces & Motion’. They are actively encouraged to participate and give their own observations and conclusions.

The circus science sessions are designed to introduce students to the idea of forces. The sessions are full of fun whilst giving pupils the opportunity to put technical names to what they are experiencing and is brilliant for getting them to start thinking about the activities from a scientific angle.

Centre of Gravity (balance point), air resistance, springs, gyroscopic motion and even the speed of sound are also brought into the mix to explain why some things behave the way they do. Whilst these are outside the curriculum objectives, they are still experienced everyday and can be explained at a simple level.

Depending on the length of workshop or show the pupils can have the opportunity to learn skills and use our equipment whilst being encouraged to explain what is happening and also guessing what might happen next.

Sessions can be from 45 minutes to an hour as well as an assembly show with lots of audience participation.

Pupils that complete one of our workshops can receive a Fantastiko Circus Certificate to recognise and remember their achievements.

When we consider that young people of today, according to Demos – an independent think tank, are more politically and socially aware than previous cohorts, it makes sense for the curriculum to be linked to current affairs wherever possible to increase relevancy. Particularly for your G&T pupils.

For in doing this it is possible to inspire a passion among your pupils for a particular subject or topic area, resulting in higher levels of attainment in the said subject.

And with the recent return of NASA’s astronaut, Scott Kelly, from the longest US space mission on record together with Britain’s own pioneer, Tim Peake, currently aboard the International Space Station, now is a better time than any to enthuse your more able pupils with the science of space exploration and all that it entails.

Not to mention the collaboration between European and Russian Space Agencies to launch the ExoMars probe, set to monitor methane levels (which could indicate life) on Mars, blasting off on March 14th. Right now, missions into space are in the spotlight in the media. It is certainly an exciting time for any budding astronaut and a golden opportunity for teachers to make lessons about the ‘final frontier’ particularly relevant.

To support you in inspiring and enthusing your pupils with the science and technology involved in adventuring to space (using current affairs), Thinkers In Education has produced a workshop by which you can introduce 60 pupils a day to a deeper STEM experience.

Our Space Pioneers Workshop offers a ‘gamified’ learning experience and requires your pupils to work as a team in high pressure situations in order to fix failing electrics and ensure safe touchdown – before analysing the alien surface upon which they have landed.

The practical activities are designed to complement one another and can be readily adapted to the age, ability, and engagement levels of your pupils by changing the content, pace, guidance, activities, and overall difficulty level to suit.

Now is also a better time than any to book your more able pupils onto our Double Lesson Session Space Pioneers Workshop as we are offering schools a massive 30% discount in April and May (making it less than £9 per pupil).

Double Session Workshops last for two hours and will be delivered twice in a day (30 pupils per session).

Our extended five-hour workshop session, Target: Mars, is also available to primary schools and offers hands-on physics, chemistry, and biology activities which enthuse pupils to view science, engineering, teamwork, and problem-solving in a new light – as pioneers of the future.

When we consider that young people of today, according to Demos – an independent think tank, are more politically and socially aware than previous cohorts, it makes sense for the curriculum to be linked to current affairs wherever possible to increase relevancy. Particularly for your G&T pupils.

For in doing this it is possible to inspire a passion among your pupils for a particular subject or topic area, resulting in higher levels of attainment in the said subject.

And with the recent return of NASA’s astronaut, Scott Kelly, from the longest US space mission on record together with Britain’s own pioneer, Tim Peake, currently aboard the International Space Station, now is a better time than any to enthuse your more able pupils with the science of space exploration and all that it entails.

Not to mention the collaboration between European and Russian Space Agencies to launch the ExoMars probe, set to monitor methane levels (which could indicate life) on Mars, blasting off on March 14th. Right now, missions into space are in the spotlight in the media. It is certainly an exciting time for any budding astronaut and a golden opportunity for teachers to make lessons about the ‘final frontier’ particularly relevant.

To support you in inspiring and enthusing your pupils with the science and technology involved in adventuring to space (using current affairs), Thinkers In Education has produced a workshop by which you can introduce 60 pupils a day to a deeper STEM experience.

Our Space Pioneers Workshop offers a ‘gamified’ learning experience and requires your pupils to work as a team in high pressure situations in order to fix failing electrics and ensure safe touchdown – before analysing the alien surface upon which they have landed.

The practical activities are designed to complement one another and can be readily adapted to the age, ability, and engagement levels of your pupils by changing the content, pace, guidance, activities, and overall difficulty level to suit.

Now is also a better time than any to book your more able pupils onto our Double Lesson Session Space Pioneers Workshop as we are offering schools a massive 30% discount in April and May (making it less than £9 per pupil).

Double Session Workshops last for two hours and will be delivered twice in a day (30 pupils per session).

Our extended five-hour workshop session, Target: Mars, is also available to primary schools and offers hands-on physics, chemistry, and biology activities which enthuse pupils to view science, engineering, teamwork, and problem-solving in a new light – as pioneers of the future.

Thinking about the forces in every day (and Circus) life, plus a few extra strange science facts! Suitable for KS1 and KS2.

Feats of juggling, spinning and balancing to astound and amuse, a demonstration followed by workshops with lots of participation.

Why do objects fall, slow down, speed up, change direction or remain balanced?
Within the sessions the Fantastiko Circus scientist explores all of the concepts required for KS1 & KS2 ‘Physical Processes’ and a little more besides. Using practical examples, observation and experiment, he helps the pupils gain a better understanding of ‘Forces & Motion’. They are actively encouraged to participate and give their own observations and conclusions.

The circus science sessions are designed to introduce students to the idea of forces. The sessions are full of fun whilst giving pupils the opportunity to put technical names to what they are experiencing and is brilliant for getting them to start thinking about the activities from a scientific angle.

Centre of Gravity (balance point), air resistance, springs, gyroscopic motion and even the speed of sound are also brought into the mix to explain why some things behave the way they do. Whilst these are outside the curriculum objectives, they are still experienced everyday and can be explained at a simple level.

Depending on the length of workshop or show the pupils can have the opportunity to learn skills and use our equipment whilst being encouraged to explain what is happening and also guessing what might happen next.

Sessions can be from 45 minutes to an hour as well as an assembly show with lots of audience participation.

Pupils that complete one of our workshops can receive a Fantastiko Circus Certificate to recognise and remember their achievements.

When it was proposed that we stage Edith Nesbit’s universally popular children’s novel, “The Railway Children”, in its own theatre at King’s Cross, complete with a working steam train, we thought it was a great idea that might run for three months or so.

Little did we know that the theatre production would go on to feature Shaun Williamson, win an Olivier Award for best Entertainment, and would still be playing to packed houses four years later.

Which is why the play’s run has been extended again, meaning that we can now take bookings from 8th February – 31st October. Moreover, there is an early bird offer for schools, so if you book by 11th April, tickets will be £14.50.

The production is staged in a brand new 1000 seat theatre at King’s Cross, built around a real train track, with a vintage locomotive that steams into the theatre to really bring the show to life.

What’s more, we offer all schools a unique experience by hosting a drama workshop which lasts for just under an hour and which can be undertaken on a class by class basis at the theatre or at your school.

By bringing sections of the script to life we will enhance the children’s experience of the show, encouraging them to write engagingly about their experience of the production.

The Railway Children drama workshops are available for all primary schools that bring 60 or more children to The Railway Children stage show for an additional £3. Workshops for smaller groups are available in the theatre foyer before the performance.

Additionally our Education Guide includes classroom activities for teachers and students which can be found in our education pack.

This is an evidence-based, experiential workshop; participants will be informed of useful methods to engage and maintain boys interest in education and will be encouraged to consider a whole-school strategy to improve boys achievement.

How to effectively engage young males with education and provide routes into employment and socially responsible adulthood is a concern of many professions.

Education is also a recognised social determinant of health; boys and young men are consistently outperformed by girls and young women in schools and universities. Health improvement also means action on increasing educational opportunity.

Mentoring offers an evidence-based approach to work with young men – helping young men to achieve their academic and vocational potential, addressing the new Ofsted framework and concerns related to problematic behaviours – and providing go-to support and signposting to other services.

Your sixth form young men

The Unit Award in Mentoring Boys and Young Men is a Level 2 award providing your sixth formers with an understanding of mentoring work. The unit considers:

the rationale for work with young males

a strengths-based approach to work with young males

the role of the mentor

qualities desirable in a mentor

primary tasks of a mentor

dealing with disclosure/safeguarding

setting boundaries in mentor-mentee relationships

building and sustaining mentor-mentee relationships

goal setting and outcomes

The outcome is that your sixth formers will have received training enabling them to peer-mentor boys in lower year groups. This not only strengthens their employability skills and student leadership within the school, but helps to raise the overall achievement of all boys and young men involved.

The workshop covering the award criteria is 4 hours long. Each sixth former undertaking the award will be provided with their own copy of the Mengage course book: Mentoring Male: A guide to mentoring work with boys and young men.A Level 2 certificate will be issued upon completion.

The workshop costs £495 for up to 15 sixth formers+ £45 per person for accreditation + reasonable travel costs. Discounts for more than 15 sixth formers.

Mengage is committed to your school’s development; if this is something you would like to discuss or you have other concerns regarding the health or education of young men, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

A day of workshops for groups of pupils throughout your school
Engaging and thought-provoking workshops for pupils
Essential for schools that want to challenge prejudice and promote disability equality
Price: £800+vat

Delivered by a dedicated ally of disabled people, these workshops will help pupils to:
learn more about disability and human rights
be clear on law and policy for disabled children’s education
hear disabled people’s perspectives
identify common stereotypes and some of the prejudices disabled people face
explore a range of views of what disability is, who is disabled and what disables them
reflect on a range of disability labels
review language and terminology used and the effect this can have on disabled people’s identities
ask sensitive questions anonymously
understand, and respond to, society’s “culture of indifference”
learn about disabled people who have made a difference
become advocates for disability equality

Pupils and staff who attended a similar workshop said:
“Excellent and informative”
“Brilliant”
“Inspirational”
“It certainly made me consider the way I think.”
How long is each workshop?

Ideally 40 minutes, but workshops can be made shorter or longer to fit in with the structure of your school day.

How many workshops will you deliver?

We can deliver up to six workshops in a day; this, too, can be adapted to fit in with the structure of your school day.

How many pupils should there be in each group?

The workshops are interactive and will be more effective if there are 15-20 pupils in each group.

What year groups are these workshops for?

We offer these workshops to primary and secondary schools and adapt the content and presentation according to the age of pupils we work with.

Does a member of staff need to stay with the group?

Yes, we ask that a member of staff is present at each workshop.

Will you need any equipment?

A computer and projector would be helpful.
To request a booking, please email the following information to admin@csie.org.uk

The problem with a good problem is…
everybody wants to be the one to solve them!

Lets face it things can (and often do) go pear shaped at work. There is no perfect way to run a business. Lessons unfortunately are often learnt and understood the hard way – when something goes wrong. For some people this is a nightmare whilst some people will relish the thought of being the hero and saving the day.

In order that students might see how things can go wrong, and how they can be put right, we have put together a business exercise called The Safe Delivery Exercise which is designed to put the theory of solving problems into practice.

The exercise is suitable for KS4 and Sixth Form students. Students are divided into teams of six who each act as a manager in the business. They are given an individual brief which has information exclusive to that person.

The Scenario – A fire resistant storage cabinet has been ordered that will house a new ‘server’ on which the essential financial information for the business will be stored. It is now Friday afternoon and the cabinet is being delivered Saturday morning. It must be installed in the General Office by Monday morning. A detailed office floor plan of the building has been provided. A meeting has been called so that the managers can sit down and work out how this job will be undertaken.

Teamwork, clear communication, problem solving skills and good maths are the key to success. A verbal jigsaw that needs to be solved!

This resource contains:
– clear teachers’ guidance notes that explain how to run the exercise– a teachers crucial information chart – a memo that sets out the task for the students– detailed briefs for five managers and one scribe– a detailed floor plan of the office building showing the obstacles that need to be overcome– the solution and a power point presentation showing each step of the solution

This super resource is available for only £50 and can be used again and again.

You can pay and download the exercise direct from our website using Paypal or you may wish to pay with a purchase order number. Please e-mail your purchase order number to:Julie@c-l-e.co.uk. Your order will be dealt with within 24 hours.